Copper cleaning unit



April 1962 w. ZABRANSKY 3,027,688

COPPER CLEANING UNIT Filed Jan. 12, 1960 INVENTOR.

WEsLEv ZABEQNSKY United rates Patent 3,027,588 Patented Apr. 3, 1962 3,027,688 COPPER CLEANING UNIT Wesley Zabransky, 84 Washington Ave, Little Ferry, N .J. Filed Jan. 12, 1960, Ser. No. 2,046 3 Claims. (Cl. 515) My invention relates to pipe cleaning tools, and is directed particularly to improvements in power tools for cleaning the end portions of copper conduit and fittings, such as used by plumbers, pipe fitters and refrigeration mechanics, prior to soldering junctions.

In the installation of copper or brass pipe and fittings in plumbing, air-conditioning and refrigerating systems, and the like, it is necessary to remove burrs and clean the end portions of the pipe and fittings just prior to soldering and/or sweating the junctions in order to make a solid, leak proof joint. This operation is generally performed manually with the use of files, emory paper, sandpaper or wire brushes. The use of such hand tools not only is time consuming and inefficient but the loss and misplacement of these small tools is also a frequent inconvenience.

It is accordingly the principal object of my invention to provide a portable power-driven pipe and fitting cleaner that eliminates the deficiencies of prior manual cleaning methods.

Another object of the invention is to provide a selfcontained power driven pipe cleaner of the above nature which is readily adaptable to cleaning pipe of any size from /2 inch to 4 inches in diameter, and which can be used simultaneously by two workmen if necessary.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a pipe cleaner of the character described which comprises a rectangular housing in the form of a tool box with a carrying handle on top, and containing an electric motor coupled to directly drive a grinding wheel spindle journalled through the ends of the housing box and fitted with grinding wheels at each outer end, and a plurality of wire brush spindles coupled through a gear reduction box to the output shaft of the motor and journalled to extend in horizontally spaced relation through the front of the housing box, each wire brush spindle carrying on its outer end an exchangeable wire cleaning brush.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a portable pipe cleaner of the above nature which will be simple in construction, fool-proof in operation, desirable in use and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numbers denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable power driven pipe and fitting cleaner embodying my invention, and

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof with the top cover removed to show internal construction.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, 19 designates a rectangular housing box, preferably constructed of heavy sheet aluminum, having a top cover 11 removably secured thereon in any convenient manner. The top cover 11 is provided with a central carrying handle 12. Secured within the housing box in the upper right hand corner (FIG. 2) is a /3 horsepower motor 13, the drive shaft 14 of which is journalled through a support bearing 15 and connected to the input shaft of a 10 to 1 gear reduction box 16. The low speed output shaft 17 of the gear reduction box 16 constitutes a brush spindle which is journalled in a ball bearing 18 fixed against the inside of the front wall 19 of the housing box 10 and which extends through said front wall.

Journalled within the housing box 10 are front and back ball bearings 20, 21v fixed against the inside walls of the front and back walls 19 and 2.2 of said housing box, and extending through said front wall in horizontally spaced parallel relation, and in spaced parallel relation to the brush spindle 17, are additional brush spindles 23, 2:4, 25. The outwardly-extending ends of the brush spindles 17, 23, 2d and 25 each carry a chuck 26 for replaceably receiving wire brushes 27, 28, 29, 30 of Various shapes and sizes for cleaning the fittings.

Spindles 17 and 23 carry aligned sprockets 31 within the box It) interconnected by a chain 32; spindles 23 and 24 carry aligned sprockets 33 within said box interconnected by a chain 34; and spindles Z4 and 25 carry aligned sprockets 35 within said box interconnected by a chain 36. Thus the spindles 17, 23, 24 and 25 each rotate at low speed and in the same direction driven by the motor 13 through the ear reduction box 16.

Means is also provided for grinding the burrs from cut ends of conduit. To this end there is journalled through ball bearings 37 secured against the insides of the end walls 38, 39 of the housing box 10 a longitudinallyextending grinding wheel spindle 4d. The drive shaft 14 of the motor 13 carries a sprocket 41 in alignment with a like sprocket 42 secured on the grinding wheel spindle 40, said sprockets being joined by a chain 43. The outwardly extending ends of the grinding Wheel spindle 4i) are provided with chucks 44 within which. are replaceably fitted grinding wheel 45 and wire brush 46 for cleaning the pipe.

Since the grinding wheel spindle 4G is driven directly by the motor 13, rather than through the gear reduction box 16 as in the case of the brush spindles 17, 23, 24 and 25, the grinding wheel 45, and wire brush 46, will rotate at high speed for efficiently removing burrs from out lengths of conduit. A grinding wheel 45, and a wire brush 46 at each end of the housing ill permit simultaneous use by two workmen if necessary. Similarly, the four wire brushes 27, 28, 29 and 30' at the front of the housing box it permit conduit or fitting cleaning operations by two men simultaneously if necessary. A supply of wire brushes of various sizes for cleaning various sizes of pipe from about inch in diameter to about 4 inches in diameter can conveniently be stored Within the housing box 10 when not in use.

While I have shown and described herein only one form in which the invention can conveniently be embodied in practice, this embodiment is presented by way of example only and not in a limiting sense. The invention, in brief, is limited only by the scope and spirit of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable power driven conduit and fitting cleaner comprising, in combination, a rectangular housing box, an electric motor secured within said housing box, a grinding wheel and wire brush wheel spindle journalled from end to end within said housing box and having end portions extending through the end walls thereof, a grinding Wheel and a wire brush wheel means removably connecting said grinding wheel and wire brush wheel one each to the ends of said grinding wheel and wire brush spindle, a plurality of wire brush spindles journalled in spaced parallelism and extending from front to back within said housing box and having end portions extending through the front wall thereof, a plurality of wire brushes, means removably connecting said wire brushes one each to the outwardly-extending ends of said brush spindles, means within said housing box for driving said grinding wheel and wire brush wheel spindle from the drive shaft of said motor at high speed, said last-mentioned means comprising a sprocket on the drive shaft of said motor, a

sprocket on said grinding Wheel and Wire brush wheel spindle, and a belt interconnecting said sprockets, and means within said housing box for driving said brush spindles from the output shaft of said motor at low speed, said brush spindles driving means comprising a gear reduction box mounted in said housing box and having its input shaft connected with the drive shaft of said motor, one of said brush spindles constituting the low speed output shaft of said gear reduction box, and belt drive means interconnecting adjacent pairs of said brush spindles.

2. A portable power driven conduit and fitting cleaner as defined in claim 1 wherein said grinding and wire brush wheel connecting means and said wire brush connecting means each comprises mechanical chuck.

3. A portable power driven pipe and fitting cleaner as defined in claim 2 including a carrying handle fixed to the top of said housing box.

References Gted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

